Catch-22
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: She laughs, and he hates it. He hates that he likes it, and he hates that he knows it means he lost. [Rated for Bakugo language].
1. Chapter 1

**So as I was watching BNHA, the first ship I considered was Kacchako because, as I'd said at the time, 'her calm cheerfulness is a perfect contrast to his crazy explosiveness,' and then I saw this really cute art/comic and I just had to write for it. I got an idea of how to write for Bakugo and I thought it'd be fun and it was _insanely_ fun.**

**The amazing artwork can be seen at ****twitter,com/dailykrumbs/status/1067636491659034624?s=21**

**Daily Krumbs has so much incredible artwork in general, please check them out!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.**

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Catch-22

_\- a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules_

. . .

Chapter 1.

Fucking hell.

After an exhausting day of training classes and boring-ass lectures, and then having to spend an evening with the rest of the nimrods in Class A, all Bakugo wants to do is crash into his fucking mattress and go the _fuck_ to sleep.

But _no_. Just as he's trying to make plans to sneak away from the stupid useless chatter of the common area, he gets the signal.

Ochako is seated on the arm of one of the couches, laughing over Asui's shoulder at one thing or another with the rest of the girls. But some-fucking-how she still manages to catch Bakugo's eye and give him _that look_. That fucking look that means he's going to have to stay behind and wait until everyone else is gone just so he can figure out what the hell it is she wants.

So he shoves his hands into his pockets and slams his back against the wall, seething a silent but deadly aura that keeps even Kirishima away.

He growls and mutters as he watches the others clock out one by one. They waste time saying goodnight to everyone in the fucking room, and he nearly explodes.

It's driving him fucking nuts. He just wants to go the fuck to _sleep_. And it should've been fucking _easy_ for him to do that-

But there's no way he can ignore her. God fucking forbid he made her upset. He can't even think about it. He'd probably kill himself in a self-inflicted explosion if he ever made her cry.

He has no idea when it all started, but it probably had something to do with their match back at the sports' festival. She'd clearly been at a major disadvantage in just about every way, but she'd still managed to figure out a method to go toe-to-toe with him and make for one of the longest and most exhilarating fights of the entire tournament.

She really hadn't been half bad. She'd even surprised him. He knew the majority of his classmates would've lasted a few seconds or minutes at best, but she'd lasted a hell of a lot longer than he or anyone else had expected. Only that bastard Todoroki and that damn Deku, and maybe even that asshole Kirishima would've been able to hold their own against him more than she did.

But ever since then, he'd just been so... _annoyed_ whenever he was around her.

It was annoying to see her smile and hear her laugh and feel her happy bubbly aura.

It was so fucking annoying... because he didn't know what the fuck to _do_ with himself.

All he can do now is spit and curse under his breath as he impatiently waits for the other morons to get the hell out.

He's almost about to blow when the last of the girls finally leave together, waving goodbye to Ochako.

With a snort and a grunt, Bakugo shoves off from the wall and clods over to the couch where she's still sitting with her legs dangling off the side. She's smiling, and it pisses him off, because he kind of likes it. But he can't let her know that.

"The hell do you want?" he growls. "I don't have time for your bullshit."

Ochako claps and nearly falls back over in laughter.

"Ahaha! Kacchan, you're so funny!"

"Don't fuckin' call me that!" He stomps a step closer in warning, but she just keeps laughing. He grabs her shoulder and yanks her upright again, making it seem like he did it because he's angry and not because he didn't want her to fall. He snarls down into her face. "I'm serious. Don't _fuckin'_ call me that."

She finally gets ahold of herself and stops laughing, resting her cheek against his hand.

"Sorry. That's Deku's thing, right? You're so picky, Baku-chan."

He snorts again. He didn't even realize when she'd started to call him that, but it fucking pisses him off that he likes it.

"Shut the hell up." _Fuck_, she's so soft. How can she even be this fucking soft? "What the hell do you even want? I just wanna go the fuck to sleep."

She nuzzles her cheek against the back of his hand for a moment longer, still smiling. When she finally does straighten up again and look at him, he almost recoils. Her eyes are really fucking nice. He can't take it when she smiles at him like that. It _does_ things to him. It annoys the hell out of him.

"Aww, don't be like that, Baku-chan!" She reaches out to hold onto both of his hands, pulling him closer again. "It's not much! Just a little request!"

"Then spit it out!" He wants to rip himself away, but not as strongly as he wants to stay right there feeling her hands around his, where he can smell that stupid fruity smell of her shampoo.

She gives her answer with a flip of her head, bowing it forward as her hair bounces over her shoulders. She makes her request.

"Ponytail!"

Bakugo feels like his soul has left his body.

"..._Hah?_"

"You heard me! Tie my hair up for me!"

Fucking hell. Fucking shit. How the _fuck_ could she be serious? How the fuck could _he_ be serious for even _considering_ to actually do it? How the fuck could he be so fucking _weak_ that he knows he's going to fucking do it anyway just because she asked?

He balls his hands into fists, but makes sure it doesn't prevent her from holding on. But the heat still comes out of his mouth.

_"Uraraka..."_

"Aw, Baku-chan, just call me Ochako!"

"Like hell..." he seethes, blood boiling. "Like _hell_ I'd fuckin'-!"

But all it takes – all it _fucking_ takes – is one glance at her eyes and one airy little smile. He cracks.

"-Like hell I'd fuckin' be able to do it like this! Turn your head, idiot!"

She laughs, and he hates it. He hates that he likes it, and he hates that he knows it means he lost. He's absolutely fucking lost. He's been losing to her ever since he won against her at the festival. That sole victory had been followed by nothing but loses on his part.

He snorts and grabs at her hair, not in a way that would pull on it or cause her any pain, but in a messy, frustrated way that ensures his fingers tangle themselves and make her look as stupid as possible. She just laughs more.

"Baku-chan, you're such a good guy."

"Shut the hell up! Give me a hair tie! How the fuck do you expect me to do this without a hair tie, idiot?!"

She tries to hold back the giggles as she lifts up her arm which has a band around it. Grunting, he pinches it and pulls it off her wrist, then bites down on it as he continues using both hands to gather her hair. She shakes her head a little, then throws it back with more laughter.

"Th-That tickles, Baku-chan!"

"Shut the hell up! Stop movin' around, for fuck's sake!"

"But it tickles!"

"_Ch_..."

He firmly slaps his hands onto either side of her head and turns her to face him directly. Then he pushes his forehead against hers with enough force to leave a mark. She stops giggling for half a second long enough to look up at him again. He glares back.

"Hold. The fuck. Still."

It probably would've scared anyone else shitless. But he only did it with her because he knew how she'd take it. And she takes it with another suppressed giggle and a tiny little nod.

Now that she's finally fucking still, Bakugo continues gathering as much of her hair as possible before tugging the tie out from between his teeth. He mutters all the while as he attempts to tie her hair.

"It's so fuckin' short anyway. Why the hell do you even _need_ to tie it up...?"

When he's finally had enough and decides to be done with it, he moves away and pushes her back to inspect his work. Most of her hair is secured inside the tie, but it's lopsided and a ton of strands are already slipping out or never got tied in the first place.

But she's still grinning like an idiot, cheeks as pink as the spot on her forehead where he'd knocked against her.

She's a mess. A really fucking cute mess.

"Well?" she beams up at him. "How does it look?"

When he answers he realizes his jaw had been going slack for a second.

"Fuckin' ridiculous."

"Ahh, but it feels so nice~ Thanks, Baku-chan!" She claps, then attacks, straining up to press her stupidly soft lips against his cheek.

It's not fucking fair. He just stayed here all goddamn evening, worked his ass off tying up her stupid hair, and then she goes and ambushes him like that? Fuck.

And the worst part is when she pulls away, and the tingling warmth that lingers on his cheek begins to fade, he wants her to do it again.

He snorts, then reflexively goes to wipe his face to smear away the contact from another human being, and then needs to stop himself, so he just ends up jolting around like a fucking moron.

"What the hell ever! I'm fuckin' done! I'm not doing any more shit for you, idiot!"

"But I'm so tiiiired now! Carry me, Baku-chan!" She feigns exhaustion and lets herself fall off the arm of the couch.

It's reflexive. It's all reflexive. That's what he tells himself as he lunges to catch her before he can even consider anything else.

She's soft and light in his arms.

And it takes him a second to realize she's _too_ light.

He howls again.

"Dumbass!" He drops her as she starts laughing again, but she doesn't fall to the floor. Instead she starts floating up into midair over his head.

"I'm sorry, Baku-chan! I just had to!"

"Shut the hell up!"

"You still caught me anyway!"

"I said shut up!"

She glides over to land in front of him, effectively blocking his path to exit. She claps her hands together and throws herself forward into a bow, her mess of hair coming even more undone in the process.

"I'm really sorry, Baku-chan!"

"Who cares? Don't fuckin' do that, you're gonna mess it up!"

"Huh? You mean my hair?"

He narrows his eyes.

"I worked my fuckin' ass off. You should be the one carrying _me_ to bed."

But no sooner than the words had spilled out of his mouth does he realize what he's just done. She gets a twinkle in her eyes.

"Oh! Is that what you want, Baku-chan? Why didn't you say so!"

"W-Wait a fuckin' minute-!"

But she's too quick for him. All it takes is a single poke to his arm and the next thing he knows he's halfway to the ceiling. He twists around and tries to get back down, but his gravity is under her control now.

"Hey! Put me down!"

"You said you wanted me to carry you!"

"Like hell I did!"

"Are you sure?"

"_Uraraka!_"

"Fiiiiine." She releases him, and in an instant he feels all his weight come rushing back to him. He tries to angle himself to land on his feet, but it just doesn't happen, and instead he ends up on his back. Ochako stands over him with her soft trainwreck of a hairstyle and offers out her hand.

"Still want me to carry you? I totally can."

"Like hell..."

Anyone else. Had it been anyone else on the_ entire goddamn planet_ reaching out their hand to him, he would've smacked it clean off. But with her he just slaps his palm into hers and lets her hoist him up. Even when he's on his feet she doesn't let go, and he doesn't either.

"Sorry I made you miss out on some beauty sleep. Lemme walk you back to your room."

"Idiot. I don't need you to fuckin' walk me back..."

"But I want to~!"

"Fine! Do whatever the hell you want! I don't care!"

She bursts into giggles again and gives a tug to his hand. And as he watches her mess of hair bounce off, he mutters one last curse and follows.

They walk in silence to his room where she finally lets go of his hand. He almost pouts about it.

Until she launches her final attack of the night.

She floats up just those few inches he has on her and loops both arms around his neck. He doesn't even think as he braces an arm around the small of her back to support her, and maybe pull her a little bit closer. She leaves a kiss on his other cheek, then brushes their noses together before hopping back down to the floor.

"Thanks again, Baku-chan. Goodnight!"

And with that she whirls around and scampers off.

He watches her go, mouth open like a fucking idiot. His blood feels warm, but not in an explosive way. There's still a softness on his skin where she'd touched him, but it's fading and he wants it back. Fuck.

"Like hell I'll be able to sleep now..."

He kicks open his door and then slams it shut behind him, then crashes down onto his bed.

Even now when she's not even here, not even touching him, he can still feel that annoyingly soft warmth, and that weirdly pleasant weightlessness.

And it pisses him off. But he still likes it.

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**A/N: Record of how many times I've written "fuck" in one piece.**

**Of course I called it Catch 22 because Bakugo is being Bakugo but he also likes Ochako and doesn't know how to handle Feelings so to him it is an Impossible Situation.**

**I can't even describe how fun this was to write. Just the absolute insanity of writing Bakugo, but in a Soft(TM) way. He'll still be as brash and brazen and explosive as ever, but he'd never hurt her or make her upset. Their perfect contrast is what draws me to this ship, and I had an absolute blast writing this little thing.**

**I thank Daily Krumbs for their amazing art and the inspiration to create this! **

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So this chapter is going to be a little different from chapter one in the sense that it isn't going to be entirely Bakugo's POV. It'll also be a bit omniscient at times as well as give a bit of Ochako's POV. Basically, a little bit less cursing. Just a little.**

**Also, it's Bakugo's birthday, so perfect time to post! Even though it's far from a fun happy bday event fic...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.**

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Chapter 2.

It's the same every goddamn time. Every training exercise every fucking time always ends up the same fucking way.

Villains. Those shitty-ass villains always end up fucking things up in one way or another. The only up side is that Class A is granted permission to fight in self-defense.

So Bakugo doesn't hold anything back. When their ugly asses come at him he lets loose, blowing things up left and right, blasting at them with everything he's got.

The shit-ton of debris he creates allows some of the others to come up with a plan. He only hears bits and pieces; Tokoyami will gather the pieces up, Todoroki will cover him, Uraraka will make the pieces float and drop them when the time's right...

He doesn't know the exact plan, but he gets the gist of it. Either way, his job is to keep blowing shit up, and _that's_ something he's good at.

So he just keeps blasting the shit-faced villains away whenever they get too close. A lot of the others are on the front-lines too, defending with everything they've got. But _he's_ the one who's gonna finish this. Bakugo's had a plan the entire time.

He gradually backs himself into a certain area of the training grounds, making it seem like a retreat. He blasts all of the boulders and trees in his path until there's nothing left standing but a mountain.

It'll be good practice.

As the villains charge, spouting their bullshit words of victory, Bakugo yells out as loud as he can.

"Get back unless you wanna _fuckin' die!"_

It's more of a warning for his classmates than the attackers, but he says it in a way that still sounds more like a threat than a cautioning.

It turns out it's even easier for him to blow up a mountain than he'd thought. Improvements to his costume and relentless hours of training and concentration on his power bust the rock and earth to pieces in seconds.

The blast of the impact is insanely strong, winds and rock and debris splattering all over from the berserk speed and force of his hit. The villains are blown back into his classmates' waiting ambushes. Dark Shadow pins one, Todoroki freezes another, Sero bounds one with tape, Yaoyorozu traps another with a net, and of course Deku punches one halfway into next week.

As Bakugo staggers to his feet there's still a ton of shit falling all around, and he gives a few blasts to blow up the bigger boulders before they come down. Dust shrouds the entire area of the aftermath, clogging the air. The ground is cracked and splintered where the mountain used to be, completely fucking obliterated. He grins.

"That's what you fuckin' get, assholes!"

He's still soaring on the high of the unmistakable win, adrenaline still pumping hot in his veins and making him itch for more. He glares around the battlefield, wanting more to come at him, needing another ugly bastard to pound his fists into; he could do this shit all fucking day.

His ears are still ringing from the explosion, his blood still rumbling from the concussive repel blast. More. He needs more. He needs to let loose even fucking _more_-

That's when the ringing finally begins to fade, and the sounds of voices start making sense. They're shouting something, and it takes him a minute to realize it's a name.

"Uraraka-kun!"

"Ochako-chan!"

"Uraraka-san!"

No. They aren't calling out in excitement. They aren't congratulating her for her fighting or celebrating the victory.

He can tell right away. There's fear in their voices, and suddenly all the red-hot adrenaline in his veins runs cold.

The voices continue to echo her name as the dust finally clears. He turns slowly, looking toward the spot their shouts are aimed at.

He doesn't want to see. But he needs to know.

Everyone is still, but no one more so than her. The rest of them are on their feet. But she's crumpled on the ground, surrounded by sharp splinters of rock.

There's blood. She isn't moving.

It's just like back at the sports' festival, only a million times worse. More than a million. She'd more or less done it to herself back then.

But this time... This time it was _his_ fault.

Everything feels like it comes rushing out of him all at once. Unlike the weightlessness she makes him feel, now it feels like that mountain he'd destroyed has reformed right on top of him. His head feels like it's full of bees, his vision is blearing white, and his legs are gripped by numbness.

He takes a step and nearly stumbles, pushing himself back up so hard he almost falls again. She still doesn't move. The wind just tumbles limply through her hair. The usual chestnut brown color is darkened with red.

The others keep calling out for her and desperately try to get to her. Bakugo doesn't even hear them anymore. He just staggers closer step by step, but now even the tiniest pebbles beneath his shoes feel like they're going to unbalance him and bring him down.

When the others realize he's going, they stop coming and fall silent, holding themselves back in tearful, terrified silence. Only Bakugo keeps going.

It's too damn quiet. After all that fucking noise, now it's suddenly _too goddamn quiet._ He can hear the blood roaring in his ears, feel it surging and then sinking.

"Oy..."

He staggers close, but she still doesn't stir. He can see now just how much blood is pooling around her. It's _too_ much.

"Oy..."

His voice cracks, but not in the usual way. Not because he's been yelling and shouting enough to nearly lose his voice. It cracks for another reason.

"Oy, oy, oy... stop messin' around..."

He finally reaches her, but she never answers, never looks up.

He feels like he's gonna vomit. He almost _wants_ to if it would mean this burning shitstorm in his gut would go the fuck away.

It's the worst. He'd been put within an inch of his life a million times, but nothing is worse than _this_.

He drops to his knees, feeling the slight pain as rocks and twigs scrape his skin. He welcomes it if it means he can feel anything but this awful fucking numbness. He wants to bleed. He wants it to be him instead of her.

She still hasn't moved, not even a little.

"Oy..." His voice grates like rusted iron as the tang of blood hits his nose. "I said stop screwin' around, damn it..."

He reaches out, but his hands seem too big, too bruised and calloused to be touching her like this. He brushes against her hand, just the pads of her fingers, half expecting her to open her eyes and giggle that it was all an act before making him float away and look like a fucking idiot.

But it doesn't happen. She just lies there, so still he can't even tell if she's breathing. He feels heat behind his eyes and snarls, forcing it back.

"I said stop messin' with me! Get _up_, damn it!"

His voice blasts furiously around the clearing, wanting to startle her awake if all else fails.

But not even that works. She still doesn't budge.

He can't make sense of it. She's been down before, but she always gets back up. She _has_ to...

The buzzing in the back of his head slowly begins to become coherent as voices.

"Uraraka-san!"

"She's bleeding-"

"We need to get her treated-"

"I'm the fastest! I'll take her!"

"Wait, Iida-kun! If you run _too_ quickly it could make it worse..."

Bakugo rounds on the rest of them and yowls.

"Shut the hell up! _I'm_ going! _I'm_ taking her!"

They all pause, mouths agape, and take a step back. Bakugo spits out another curse before turning back to her. He crouches closer, angling his arms to get the grenades on his costume out of the way. He slides one hand beneath her knees and the other around her shoulders.

As soon as he tries to move her, blood starts leaking onto his palm. Her head rolls limply toward him, but she doesn't make a sound.

He curses again, baiting his breath that's hot like acid. He pulls her into his arms and keeps her close. Normally she'd use her Quirk to make herself a little lighter – she was always worried about her weight for no damn reason. But now he supports all of her, which isn't much at all to begin with.

He braces her back against his knee, holding her up and looking down into her face. Her hair is a wreck, spilling out all over her face, matted with dried crusted blood. Bruises and scratches mar her cheeks, but none worse than the deep gash across her left temple.

"_Shit_..." He moves slowly and stiffly, making sure not to jostle her. But as he stands, it seems like the blood starts flowing faster. "Shit... Fuckin' _stop it_-"

He turns and takes off running as quickly as he dares, cradling her head against his chest to keep her still.

He blows past the others without a second glance and just runs.

Each step is another curse, another surge of stinging behind his eyes.

"Shit, shit, shit-"

Somewhere along the lines, the heat starts dripping down his face. He runs faster.

"Shit... Don't fuckin' do this... You can't fuckin' do this, you hear me?! Just open your eyes, damn it! Just say something! Damn it- _say something, Ochako!_"

He can barely see now. Everything's fucking blurry and he can't even see where he's going.

Faster. He's gotta run faster-

"Mn..."

It's a small sound. Tiny. Frail. He'd never considered her to be frail before, not even at the sports' festival, but now might be the time for it.

He skids to a stop and looks back down at her.

She still hasn't moved from what he can tell. Her eyes are still closed, and blood has started dripping over the side of her face in addition to the trail dribbling down the back.

He waits for a moment, wasting the time he _should_ be using to get her to the infirmary, but he needs to know if it was real. It _had_ to have been. There's no way he imagined it. There's no fucking way...

"Mn..."

This time there's no mistake about it. Her brow furrows, and her body jolts the tiniest bit. She tries to open her eyes, wincing at the effort it takes for such a simple thing. Her chest heaves with a painful breath that cuts off halfway through.

Bakugo doesn't have time to feel any relief that she's conscious. Not when she's this bad. She sputters and trembles in his arms, eyes glazed as she tries to make sense of him.

"B... Baku-chan..."

He doesn't know what he's feeling now. Whatever it is, it's warm and confusing and annoying, and more heat drips down his cheeks.

"Idiot..." he spits softly, but there's no real venom in it. "Don't fucking talk."

A shudder rips through her, and the next thing he knows she's crying.

"But... you told me to... say something..."

He sucks in a breath and bites his lip so hard he tastes blood.

"Idiot. Just hold on. I'm taking you to-"

"B-Baku-chan-" She chokes on the tears, and he tightens his hold on her. "You're crying... sorry..." She gasps from the pain, and her eyes fall shut again.

His chest goes tight and he feels his strength draining.

"Oy... Wait a second... I take it back, idiot. Talk to me- keep talkin', keep your eyes on me, Uraraka-"

The wetness on his face burns and eventually drips down onto hers. He can feel the blood still trickling down his arm. She doesn't open her eyes again.

"Shit... damn it, _damn it-_!"

He takes off again, a desperate sprint past the blur in his eyes.

He runs until he hears people calling out for him. He can't make sense of what the hell they're saying anymore. The only thing that makes sense is when her weight leaves his arms. They take her from him.

He drops to his knees and howls.

* * *

Hours later, Bakugo finds himself in a chair beside a bed. Ochako is quiet and unmoving, with bandages running all around her head. They'd dressed her in robes and made him change out of his costume too, something about it being too bulky and hazardous for the infirmary wing. But other than that he'd stayed by her side every second.

Arms crossed and leg bouncing, he waits for her to wake up. They'd said she would, it was just a matter of when. He'd be damned if he wasn't there when it happened. He'll wait as long as it takes. No one would fucking _dare_ ask him to leave.

It's torture though, because the room is so _goddamn quiet_. It's just the two of them, and _she_ sure as hell isn't talking.

The only sound is the monitor beeping. It annoys him at first, makes him want to break the damn machine clean in half.

But when he stops long enough to think about it, he realizes just _what_ it is. It's her pulse, her heart - proof that she's still _alive_.

Proof he hadn't really had out on the battlefield.

He _needs_ to keep hearing it. It isn't an option.

So he waits and waits and waits more and more, mind racing more quickly than the bouncing of his leg.

In contrast she's perfectly still, save for the faint rise and fall of her chest. One of her hands had been placed above the sheets to connect to an IV drip. Eventually, he uncrosses his arms and puts his hand over hers.

He knows she can fight damn well near as good as anyone else in the class, if not better. But right now she's just so damn small, so damn weak... And it's his fault.

"Shit..."

The first word in hours, and of course it's a curse. He'd done this to her. He'd put her here. All because he'd been too reckless and hadn't checked first if anyone had been in the danger zone of the blast.

Now that she's been treated and stabilized, he doesn't have to worry as much. Which means he can spend all of his thoughts and energy on being _pissed off_ at himself.

He wants someone to come in and deck him hard in the jaw. He wants someone to beat the shit out of him.

When he squeezes - gentle as it is - his hand over hers, it almost feels like he might break her.

"Shit...! What the hell? What the hell am I-?"

He feels tears again and refuses them. He swipes them away and grits his teeth, grinding them, almost wishing they'd snap off. He wants to break something. He wants to blow something into oblivion.

But even when his thoughts are of violence, his hand never presses too hard on hers. It's just enough to let her know he's here.

It feels like years, but even though he's trapped in his own guilt, he doesn't stay down long enough not to notice.

It isn't much, just a slight twitch of her fingers beneath his, just a small spike in her pulse, but when he's been listening to the rhythm for hours on end, he knows it well enough by now to recognize the difference.

He blinks, finding his vision still hazy and hot, but when it finally clears all the waiting is worth it, and all the anger fades.

Her eyes flutter, struggling at first, and she sucks in a hard breath from the effort. Her fingers twitch beneath his as if trying to grab on.

He sniffs and clears his throat; he didn't even realize when it got clogged. He's waited a long time already, but he gives her a little more now.

It takes her a minute, but eventually she manages to open her eyes, glazed and confused and tired. But he's the first thing she sees, and clarity sparks instantly.

"Baku-chan..."

Her voice is thin and scratched, and he almost winces to hear it. But the relief he feels is something he can't even begin to describe.

"Idiot..." In contrast to the word, he squeezes her hand. "Took you long enough."

"Sorry..."

"Shut up. Don't apologize, moron."

She smiles weakly, but it still has all her usual sweetness behind it.

"You carried me back here, right?"

He snorts.

"I took responsibility." He looks down at the floor, avoiding her eyes. "It was my damn fault-"

"Now _you_ be quiet, Baku-chan." She makes an effort to sit herself up, and he instantly reaches out to hold down her shoulder.

"Idiot! Don't fuckin' move around!"

She pouts up at him, then heaves a sigh.

"Baku-chan, it wasn't your fault. You gave a warning. I didn't react in time. I didn't get out of range of your attack. Sorry."

"I said don't apologize."

"But I caused you a lot of trouble, didn't I? You were really worried. You even-" She spares him and doesn't say it. They both know that he'd cried, but she doesn't need to say it and rub salt in the wound. _She_ might not see it as a weakness, but she knows he does. She turns her hand over beneath his and laces their fingers together. "Thanks for saving me, Baku-chan."

He growls, still pissed at himself for letting it happen in the first place.

"I said don't thank me, idiot. And don't apologize. Just get better."

She frowns until she gets him to look at her, and only then does she smile.

"I will. What about you, Baku-chan? Are you okay? Have you gotten some rest?"

"Ch. Who the hell cares about that? I don't need any."

"Yes you do. I'll be fine, so you should-"

"Oy." He cuts her off by leaning over her and pressing a kiss to her lips. Ochako squeaks softly in the back of her throat, and the heart monitor picks up the pace. When he pulls back she's speechless. He glares gently at her. "Just stop talking, idiot."

And she must finally get it, because she stops trying to convince him to leave. She just sighs and gives his hand another squeeze.

"Thanks..."

Proof she never wanted him to leave at all.

He finally cracks a smile and slides his chair closer. Slowly, he reaches out his free hand and curls his fingers through her hair, avoiding the bandages.

"Does it hurt?"

She smiles and closes her eyes, letting out a soft sigh.

"Mm-mm."

It's incredible to her really, how just hours ago he'd exploded an entire mountain, and now he's touching her more softly than a flower petal on a breeze. She rests for a moment, and only the sound of her pulse fills the room.

Bakugo hunches forward and closes his eyes too. But when he feels her try to move again he looks back up. She's bracing her unoccupied hand against the mattress, shifting her weight and making an effort to sit up. She grits her teeth and sucks in a deep breath, wincing. He tenses and tries to keep her down again.

"Oy, what the hell are you-"

"Please-" she gasps, peeking up at him past her messy bangs. "Please, Baku-chan."

He feels like he's been punched in the gut, but he can't say no to her. So he braces his arm around her shoulders and slowly helps her sit up, keeping her balanced and steady.

"Easy," he mutters. "You lost a hella lot of blood." Seriously. Why did she bleed so easily? It wasn't fucking fair.

Ochako admittedly slumps her weight against him and lets him hold her up. He's about to ask her why the hell she felt the need to sit up anyway, but the second her back is straight enough he gets an answer.

She leans over toward him and wraps both arms around him, curling around his shoulders as she buries her face in his neck. She trembles softly, letting out a long exhale.

He supports her sides under her arms and across the small of her back, easing forward so she won't have to lean over the edge of the bed.

She feels softer than ever against him, and warmer too. The fluttering of her pulse beats against his chest in time with the sound from the machine as she nuzzles into his neck. He cards fingers through her hair and over her back.

He'd be straight up fucking lying if he'd said he hadn't been dying for this too.

He doesn't dare to hold her any tighter than what she's giving him. He feels like he might break her. She must be able to read him perfectly though, because she squeezes him harder, letting him know it's all right for him to do the same.

Minutes pass, and more and more. Her pulse begins to slow down and her embrace on him loosens a little. He holds on, the usual scowl present on his face, even though internally he feels better than ever before. This feeling right now is better than any battle victory.

She stirs and makes a tired little sound in his ear, humming softly.

"Hey, Baku-chan...?"

He can tell she's barely conscious, but she's fighting it off because there's one last thing she needs to know.

"Before... did you call me 'Ochako'...?"

He stiffens and grunts, which probably gives him away, but the denial comes naturally.

"Like hell I did. Just shut up and go to sleep, Uraraka."

She sighs happily, and he knows she's found him out, but she's merciful enough not to rub it in.

He holds her up until she's gone limp from sleep, and keeps holding her a while after that too, brushing his cheek against hers, kissing the bandages.

It takes the orders of the medical personnel an hour later to finally make him get up. He lies her back down, leaves another kiss on her forehead, and tucks her in.

He eventually makes it back to his room and sleeps, but only because it's what he knows she wants; so they'll be able to fight together again another day.

* * *

**A/N: So this was kinda not exactly what I had in mind (mostly the ambiguous fight sequence) but I wanted to do some angst. I'd always wondered how Bakugo would react if she got hurt, but what if it was _his_ fault? Man oh man...**

**I might... might do one more... perhaps from Ochako's POV. But I'm not sure yet. We'll see!**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, sorry for the angst last chapter, to compensate this one and the next are complete and utter fluff. Also this is mostly Ochako's POV. You can tell because the first sentence doesn't involve the word "fuck."**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.**

* * *

Chapter 3.

Even on their days off, the students of the hero classes still tend to do some training during their free time. There's still plenty they can do to hone their skills without leaving the dorms and campus, and even without their costumes.

Ochako, for example, practices perfecting her Quirk out in the courtyards with the help of the other girls, making them float individually, in pairs, or in groups to help her better control her powers.

She also makes herself float in an effort to try and overcome her nausea. She's come a long way since day one, that's for sure, but she still hasn't beaten it completely.

The reason she ends up leaving the other girls a bit earlier today is because her stomach has started to feel knotted and upset. She puts on a smile and assures them some water and a nap will do her good before heading back inside.

It's there that she slumps against the wall, heaving a deep breath with both arms crossed around her stomach.

"Ahh, ow... It hurts a lot more than usual..."

She probably should have known better than to attempt so much practice when she was also being assaulted by natural cramps, but she wasn't about to let something like that get in the way of her hero training.

But even so... it still hurts a _lot_.

She has to take a few moments to catch her breath, hoping the mess in her stomach will untangle itself. After a few minutes it doesn't seem to really get any better or any worse.

"Guess I shouldn't complain then..."

Wincing, she makes her way to the common room, thankful that just about everyone else is outside training or in their rooms cleaning up or resting. Her plan is to get a bottle of water and then retreat to her own room as well.

She staggers her way toward the common area, hunched over and taking it slowly. When she rounds the last corner she finds she isn't the only person here.

Had it been anyone else in her class standing there, she might've hid just so they wouldn't see her like this.

But when it's her _boyfriend_...

All else goes out the window.

In spite of her pain, a big grin spreads instantly across her face and her feet take off running. Bakugo turns just in time to see her springing up at him with both arms outstretched.

"Baku-chan!"

With a squeal she jumps up toward him, using a bit of her Quirk to help herself float those few extra inches it takes for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders. But the second her Quirk activates, even just that tiny bit, it sends a pang of pain through her stomach.

"Urk-"

The smile vanishes into a grimace as she collides softly with him. His quick reflexes are probably the only things that keep them both on their feet.

"Oy, watch it!" He braces both arms around her sides and across her back, crouching down slightly to support her when she sags. Ochako feels the embrace she has on his shoulders slackening, but she hangs on, trying to ignore the discomfort pounding in her chest. She gives a nervous little chuckle and plays it off.

"Sorry. Did I surprise you, Baku-chan?"

"Ch. Like hell. Anyone could hear you comin' a mile away when you're prancin' around like that."

He can sense right away that something's off with her, though. Her voice and embrace are lacking the usual vigor, and she feels unsteady.

He holds off on interrogating her for the time being, and instead just holds her like this for a minute. Her breathing is clipped and weird, and she's shaking enough that he can feel it. It puts him into a pissed-off but protective mode.

"Oy, so what the hell was that sound a minute ago like you were about to puke?"

Ochako tenses up. She has to get away from him before he finds out-

"A-Ah, it's nothing. Sorry again, Baku-chan. I bet you have training and stuff to do-"

She lets go of him, but he doesn't do the same. He only lets her ease back far enough that she's forced to look up at him directly. His eyes are narrowed and suspicious and even a little angry, though she knows the anger only stems from concern. Her stomach drops and twists again, causing her to falter. Her fingers fumble and fail to get a grip on his arms.

"S-Sorry, Baku-chan. I think I need to lie down..."

"Damn right you do. Prepare yourself."

"Eh? W-What does that- eep!" The next thing she knows she's being swept off her feet, swiftly enough that she has no chance of escape, but still gently enough that it doesn't upset her stomach anymore than it already is. She feels heat spreading in her cheeks, and when she frantically looks up at him she can tell he's blushing slightly too.

"B-Baku-chan? Wh-What-"

"Just shut up. You're lucky we're alone. And it better stay that way," he mutters.

Bakugo heads for the couch and sits down in the middle. He lies Ochako on her back beside him, keeping her head in his lap. Ochako is so puzzled and flattered and flustered all at once she forgets the pain in her stomach for a second.

"B-Baku-chan-"

"Can it. You said you wanted to rest, right? So shut up and rest."

He doesn't give her a chance to try and argue. Keeping one hand on her head, he gently lays the other on top of her stomach. Ochako nearly forgets how to breathe. It feels like her heart is going to explode. He's never been so forward like this with her before and she doesn't know how to handle it.

"W-Wait, B-Baku-chan, I-"

"I said be quiet, idiot."

It isn't much, just the tiniest bit of his Quirk, but he activates it in his hand. A subtle warmth spreads throughout his fingers, and he slowly begins rubbing his palm in circles over her stomach.

Ochako flinches at the initial pressure of his hand, light as it is. But not a second later, the comforting warmth begins to spread across her body, canceling out the tightness in her stomach. Her furrowed brow soon relaxes, and a deep, shaky sigh deflates her chest.

"Ahh..."

Bakugo snorts as he starts carding his other fingers through her hair.

"Idiot. That's what you get for overusing your Quirk."

"Bah... Baku-chan-"

"Quit yappin' already."

He moves his hand slowly and keeps the pressure balanced – hard enough for her to feel, but light enough not to hurt her. He can feel how tense she is, how her heart is pounding way too hard because of the pain. He applies a bit more heat in an effort to loosen the tightness.

Ochako's eyes have already fallen shut from a mixture of things; it's only a little bit from embarrassment, but most of it is from the warring sensations of discomfort and relief. It's all a bit too overwhelming for the time being.

So she tries to focus on his fingers in her hair, curling around a few locks while brushing against her temples, stroking in slow, soothing patterns. The heat from his other hand is doing wonders for her cramps and nausea. He knows exactly how and where to move, how to shift the weight of his fingers before it can become too hot in one place. A shudder runs through her, and she whimpers, but it's more from the relief than anything else.

Bakugo moves his palm up toward her chest, letting it settle for a second at the center. The heat spreads from her core and starts to untangle the last of the coils in her gut. He can tell by the way her brow keeps furrowing and relaxing that she's still thinking too much, still worrying about being nervous. Her breath hitches more than once, and he has to lean down over her to hold a kiss to her forehead.

"Oy, don't forget to breathe, idiot."

She peeks up at him, face almost entirely pink. She swallows and nods. He straightens back up and grumbles.

"Seriously. You said you wanted to rest and you can't even do that."

He shifts his hands again. The one in her hair cradles her head, his fingertips massaging the back of her neck. The one on her chest goes back to her stomach, tracing circles all up and along her sides.

Only then does Ochako finally begin to calm down. The twisting feeling in her stomach dissipates and is replaced by a pleasant warmth. Her breath comes more easily, and the aching pulse that's been pounding throughout her body finally settles back to where it's supposed to be in her chest.

It's a lot to feel all at once. She can't help it when sniffles start to crinkle in her nose.

When he notices, Bakugo freezes instantly, his voice struggling and failing to keep the usual aloofness free of any concern.

"O-Oy, what's the deal? If this is making it worse, you should've said something, damn it-"

"No-" She hiccups the word with a smile. When she opens her eyes a tear slips down from each. "Baku-chan, I feel _so_ much better now... It feels really nice..."

It's his turn to relax now.

"Shit. You can't just do that to me, idiot. You can't just start cryin'-"

"Sorry," she sighs. Her eyes fall shut again, but her hands reach out. She holds loosely onto his shirt with one, and rests the other over the back of the hand he has on her stomach. Her head rolls a little limply into his other hand, tilting to one side as another breath leaves her chest.

"Thanks, Baku-chan..."

She'd wanted to say more. But the feelings overcoming her now are too cozy and relaxing to beat.

Bakugo claims his victory silently as she finally drifts off to sleep. He keeps his Quirk activated for a little while longer for good measure, and only stops when he's sure she's completely out. But he keeps his hand there beneath hers, feeling the faint rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. He leans his head back over the top of the couch and heaves a sigh.

"Guess I ain't movin' anytime soon..."

He closes his eyes too, silently vowing to kill anyone else who comes into the room to see them like this. But with how nice everything feels, all thoughts of consternation eventually fade away.

When the others eventually come in later that afternoon, they find Bakugo snoring on the couch with Ochako on his lap. They all know better than to ever mention it out loud after that, but for that afternoon, the image of the two of them warms everyone's hearts.

* * *

**A/N: I just (clenches fist) LOVE the idea of Bakugo taking care of her when she's not feeling well. I feel most people would expect him to suck at it, but in reality he's actually surprisingly good (mainly because she's his gf, he wouldn't care that much about anyone else probably).**

** Also the idea of her crying in relief and him misunderstanding for a second and getting scared he hurt her somehow. God****.**

**Next chapter is also short, but it's basically the reverse of this! Ochako taking care of a hurt Baku-chan!**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so this is basically the same exact thing as the previous chapter, but just with their positions swapped. Ochako taking care of Bakugo! And I finally wrote in a few other characters too lol**

**I sort of am inconsistent with addressing characters by only first or last names... like I call Ochako and Bakugo by first names, but Kirishima is just... he's Kirishima, right? It's just more natural to think of him as that instead of Eijiro, in my opinion.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.**

* * *

Chapter 4.

After another hectic day of unsupervised weekend training as per usual, most of Class A is ready to retire after an early supper.

Most of them. Meaning there are a few students who are still out training even after the sun has gone down.

Naturally, Ochako isn't all that surprised to find that Bakugo is one of the people who hasn't come back yet. Even from the common room, everyone can still hear him and Kirishima shouting and blasting each other. The other girls keep giving Ochako helpless looks.

"Must be tough," Tsuyu observes.

"Indeed," Momo agrees. "To have such a wily boyfriend."

Ochako still blushes when other people use that word. She chuckles sheepishly.

"Y-Yeah. He can be a handful sometimes..."

"I can imagine," Kyouka mutters.

"But he's a good guy!" Tooru chirps. "We've all seen it before, right? How he's always looking out for Ochako-chan-"

"A-All right, all right!" she squeaks. "Sh-Shouldn't you guys go to bed soon?"

"Hmm~?" Mina purrs. "And what about you? Gonna stay up and wait for your man, huh?"

"Don't tease her!" Momo intercepts, grabbing Mina by the scruff. "I think it's simply adorable how she-"

"Ahhh okay, okay!" Ochako pipes. "Just go, you guys!"

"Don't overheat," Tsuyu chuckles. "We'll go. Goodnight, Ochako-chan."

"Night you guys." Still blushing, Ochako waves them off, until she's the last one left in the common room. She leans back against the couch and waits, trying to pass the time.

Luckily, it isn't much longer before the muffled sounds of explosions and shouting finally come to a stop. She breathes a sigh of relief.

"It's curfew, so I bet Iida-kun went and got them..."

She assumes they go to eat something first, because it's about twenty minutes later when she hears voices and footsteps.

"Man," Kirishima sighs. "I almost had ya that one time."

"Ch. Like hell you did, asshole."

"Hey, you know I would've beaten you if Iida hadn't come to stop us."

"Hah! In your fuckin' dreams! You barely got off one hit on me!"

"Hey, I got in a bunch of good ones!"

"You're a fuckin' idiot."

As the two of them finally enter, Ochako gets to her feet. The boys are messy and unkempt from their skirmish, covered in minor scratches and bruises. They notice her right away.

"Yo, Uraraka-san," Kirishima grins. Bakugo just huffs and snorts. Kirishima jabs him in the gut. "Oy, idiot! She's _your_ girlfriend! At least say hi to her!"

"Bastard, shut the hell up!"

Kirishima manages to wrestle his friend into a headlock for a second as he looks up at Ochako.

"Sorry about this moron, Uraraka-san. He still needs to learn his manners."

"I'll fuckin' kill you!"

"See what I mean?"

"Asshole!"

As the two of them start tussling again, Ochako scurries over to try and stop them.

"A-All right you two, I think you should stop before Iida-kun catches you fighting indoors."

By this point Bakugo has reversed the headlock situation, and Kirishima is calling for a truce.

"She's right- we should probably call it a draw."

"A _what?_"

"All right, all right! You win!"

"Damn right!" Bakugo releases him with a snort. When the two of them move back, Ochako notices the splash of red on her boyfriend's cheek right away.

"Ah! B-Baku-chan, you're bleeding!"

"Ch. Who gives a shit?"

"Ah, my bad," Kirishima frets. "I must've scraped him just now."

Bakugo just swipes his arm across his face, smearing more blood to make it look even worse. Ochako yelps.

"J-Just wait a second! I'll get some water!"

"I said you don't have to- khh!" Bakugo cuts off with a snarl as Kirishima punches his arm. "The fuck was that?!"

"Man, shut the hell up!" Kirishima scolds him. "I'd kill to have a girl who'd worry about me and patch me up, and you're not even a little happy about it!"

"Shut up! Die!"

"Baku-chan!" Both boys turn back to Ochako as she comes scurrying over with a damp hand-towel. Her eyes are wide with concern. "Lemme see your wound."

"Ch. You've gotta be kiddin' me..."

But then Ochako narrows her eyes, and her voice becomes stern.

"Bakugo-kun!"

That shuts both boys up. Since they'd started dating Ochako's only ever called Bakugo by the pet name. Using his full name means she's probably _pissed_.

Kirishima's jaw drops and he starts to back away.

"I'll uh... leave you guys to it, then." And with that he turns tail and hurries off.

Bakugo is left stunned and confused. But one look at his girlfriend's face is enough to tell him she isn't playing around. He has no choice but to relent.

"Fine. Do whatever the hell you want."

"I plan to. Now hold still."

He doesn't dare budge as she dabs the wet cloth across his cheek, wiping away the blood until she can see the scratch. She presses down gently for a moment until the bleeding stops altogether, then cleans off the blood on his arm.

"You're all dirty," she mumbles. "You'd better take a shower before you go to bed."

"I friggin' know that."

She gives him another glare that shuts up any rude comment he might've been considering. Normally she never gets offended, and knows better than to take it the wrong way. She knows it's just how he is, and sometimes he can't help it. But when she's serious like she is now, she wants him to be also.

When she's finished cleaning him up as best she can, she sends the dirty cloth floating over to the nearest sink and gives him a stern once-over. He does a really good job at hiding any signs of pain when the others are around, but she knows better. She can tell he's silently nursing a few sore spots and is generally exhausted overall. She shakes her head and sighs.

"Who am I kidding? You'll never even make it back to your room on your own."

"Like hell I can't-"

But another glare silences him.

She softens her expression after that, reaching out to tap his arm. She uses her Quirk to ease some of the weight he's feeling, not enough to make him float, but just enough to make it easier for him to move.

She takes his hand and leads him over to the couch. Once there, she sits down and releases her hold on him, and all the soreness comes rushing back. He flinches.

"You gotta be kiddin' me."

"I'm not." She pats the couch beside her expectantly. "Lie down."

She knows it's driving him mad, that he wants to storm off and deny he needs any recuperation. But she also knows he's actually in some pain, and that he can't refuse her in general. She hardly ever plays unfairly with him, but she's not above doing it when she really has to.

So with a hefty buffalo-like grunt, Bakugo throws himself down on the couch. Ochako pulls him closer, catching his head in her hands and resting it gently on her lap.

"There. That wasn't so hard, was it, Baku-chan?"

"Just shut up, Uraraka."

He lies on his side facing her, keeping his injured cheek upturned and free of contact. He's glad she's gone back to using the pet name.

Ochako smiles fondly as she starts petting through his hair. He's already closed his eyes as an excuse not to look directly at her, because the last thing he needs right now is to start blushing on top of all this.

But when Ochako dips down to kiss his temple, he ends up turning red anyway.

She activates her Quirk like she did before, just a little bit, alleviating some of his weight to help him relax. He snorts out an exhale, and she knows it's his way of thanking her for the relief. Keeping one hand in his hair, she lets the other slip down to his face, caressing his cheek. He grunts again, letting her know he's grateful.

She continues, running her hand from his shoulder and down his arm to his side, leaving that pleasant feeling of weightlessness behind with every stroke. She's glad he's finally resting a bit, but she feels there's something she needs to say.

"Sorry."

He doesn't open his eyes, but she can almost feel him rolling them.

"The hell are you apologizing for."

She fidgets a little, fingers curling in his hair.

"Y'know... I guess sometimes I get too ahead of myself. I know I don't need to worry about you, but I just can't help it. I don't mean to embarrass you or anything like that..." She tapers off with a sigh, and when he says nothing back for a moment, she feels even guiltier.

But then he cracks an eye open and just stares up at her. Ochako blinks.

"Baku-chan-?"

"Sorry."

"...Eh?" She isn't sure if she's heard him correctly at first. She's never heard him apologize for anything before. She shakes her head, wondering if she's imagining things. "Wh-What are you saying, Baku-chan? Why are _you_ apologizing...?"

He grunts out a deep breath before looking down, avoiding her eyes and instead looking at the material of her shirt.

"What that idiot Kirishima said... it _does_ make me happy..."

Ochako is stunned for a moment as she thinks back to the earlier conversation. Kirishima had said something about Bakugo appreciating her more, and being happy to have her. She feels heat rushing to her cheeks, and her heart backflips.

Bakugo closes his eyes again with a shrug.

"Just figured I should start sayin' it more often."

Ochako's speechless. She can't think of anything to say right away, so she just leans forward again and rests her forehead against him, pulling him into as much of a hug as she can manage like this. He curls an arm around her waist too, pressing his face against her stomach.

"...Thanks, Ochako..."

She chokes on a tiny happy giggle, and a tear drips free.

"You're very welcome, Baku-chan."

Just minutes later he's fast asleep curled up in her lap. She leans back against the couch and closes her eyes as well.

Both of them sleep soundly and easily.

* * *

**A/N: Concepts I love include Ochako being a sweet cinnamon roll 95% of the time but the 5% she's Pissed Off she's absolutely terrifying, and also Bakugo calling her by her first name when they're alone and she just melts.**

**Possibly the last for this collection (it doesn't seem to be too popular anyway). But this pairing was definitely the most fun one I've written in recent months!**

**Please review!**


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